No standard pics of the New Year in Armenia but some new pics of how the homeless in Yerevan spent the holidays in Yerevan updated at:

http://www.oneworld.am/photojournalism/homeless/homeless_0001.html

BTW: Apparently there are again a lot of deaths among this group and of course, the Mayor's Office so far appears to admit that the problem exists.

It's also worth noting that there are no shelters for the homeless in Yerevan and no international organizations working in this area. However, it does appear that the Dashnaks have been trying to get the government to open shelters in Yerevan and there was even an acceptance of this idea in 2003. However, nothing has been done to date. Interestingly, a shelter for the homeless was opened in Tbilisi, Georgia, in 1999 by the Pope (of all people). In Armenia, however, we seem to have just opened up a cemetary where the dozens of homeless that die each winter are buried with a tombstone made from a metal plate with a number inscribed on it. The cemetary was opened up in 1997.

BTW: Some interesting articles on the homeless in Armenia available at:

http://archive.armenianow.com/archive/2003/september26/features/empties/index.htm

http://www.iwpr.net/index.pl?archive/cau/cau_200308_197_4_eng.txt

Cheers,

Sorry, that should have read:

BTW: Apparently there are again a lot of deaths among this group and of course, the Mayor's Office so far appears to NOT admit that the problem exists.

Also, btw, re. the Red Bull / Susan Sachs article on emigration. I was in at Red Bull two days before New Year and asked the waitress if she knew of the article. She said she did but that she hadn't read it. I said it had created a scandal and that these students / young professionals had said they didn't see much of a future for Armenia. Her response was that this opinion is common among most of the young professional / student types that visit the bar. Indeed, she says she wants to leave for the US or Brazil.

Anywhere, there you go. It's not something that isn't said frequently by most people in Armenia but I must admit, I was surprised by the backlash at the article. For example, even those mentioned in the article didn't say they were misquoted. Just that they were quoted out of context.

Cheers,

"a *shelter* for *homeless*"

If homeless has a shelter then he/she is not a homeless anymore. We all are homeless. Depends on the way we look at the meaning [home].

Onik, I think there are people who have eating areas for homeless people.

Maybe I should take pictures of how American homeless people in LA celebrate the New Years evening, the next day...

Hakob,

I think you've missed the point. Shelters are temporary accomodation for those without homes. As for the definition of "homeless" the UN has the following:

"Those who have no home and who live either outdoors or in emergency shelters or hostels, and people whose homes do not meet U.N. basic
standards or adequate protection from the elements, access to safe water and sanitation, affordable prices, secure tenure and personal safety, and accessibility to employment, education and health care."

However, when we talk about "bomzh" in Armenia we're talking about those "sleeping rough" on the streets. I'd also like to add that these people are actually (allegedly) turned away from soup kitchens in Armenia. There are NO organizations, local, international or Diasporan, working with them.

Also might interest you to know that many of the men were volunteer fighters who fought in Karabagh but receive no benefits because nobody is working with them to make sure they have the relevent papers to receive assistance, help, medical treatment.

Also might interest you to know that they're dropping like flies this winter as it appears they do every winter and nobody works with them. This is unlike the situation in the US, UK, Europe and in fact, Georgia.

Once again, another example of the Diaspora "rationalizing" the situation rather than acknowledging that a problem exists and needs to be addressed. Unlike you, however, to not acknowledge what sounds like an important step with the ARF-D pushing for the creation of shelters in Yerevan.

As for photographing the homeless in New York, I agree. You should -- although you might find that there are others already doing that. It's only in Armenia where we prefer to ignore social problems, always refering to other places where problems exist but where people openly talk about such issues.

In Armenia and the Diaspora we prefer to stick our heads in the sand instead. Of course, you're not the only one who does this and it's to be expected which is why for this article and photo essay I'm doing with Edik Baghdasarian I'm also in touch with four main organizations working with the homeless in London to compare the situation with Yerevan.

For example, dozens if not more will die this winter -- are dying -- on the streets. I want to know what the situation is in this regard in London. I'm also interested in the fact that the London Mayor's Office as well as every district authority in the UK capital has homeless units. In Yerevan, the Mayor's Office is doing nothing.

Cheers and looking forward to your work on the homeless in the US. Social problems are social problems everywhere in the world and yes, they need to be covered and addressed by those people who say they are interested in the development of their nation. That means the authorities, the media, civil society and those citizens who profess to have an interest in the world around them.

But btw, Hakob, you're right in that defining homelessness is quite a tricky thing -- just like poverty. For example, only 10% of those considered homeless in Europe actually sleep on the streets.

The same is true with London although the percentage of "rough sleepers" might be even lower given that tens of thousands of technically homeless people in the UK capital live in Bed and Breakfasts subsidized by the state etc. I'm trying to get up to date statistics but from reports in 2004, there were around 233 "rough sleepers" discovered in central London during a periodical check.

Of course, unlike Yerevan, they also have access to benefits, soup kitchens, temporary shelters, health and pyschological assistance etc. The police in the UK also don't harrass them, beat them and from time to time, round them up and dump them at the nearest municipal landfill.

Here, nobody seems to give a damn. Anyway, my journey to the Nubarashen cemetary only half happened today and we're going back for a burial of homeless people. Missed today's burials (the homeless are dropping like flies as I said and dying on a daily basis) by one hour so will be going back again to record that.

Also, to give some of the Diaspora its dues, one representative of an Armenian Students Association says they want to try to do something about this problem. Not sure what can be done for the sustainable long term as low incomes and high property prices means the number of homeless increases as people sell their homes to raise money and later, discover they have nothing left but it's a start.

Also, as elsewhere, the prevalence of tuberculosis among the homeless is high although it is also high among the poor in Armenia in general so I have to wonder why some of the $3 million allocated by the Global Fund hasn't been channeled into addressing the problem in this high risk group.

Cheers,

First off, I'd like you to know that I don't recognize organization called U.N. (It does not unite, but divides nations.), therefore I don't need their definitions.

I have to be honest with you in this issue. When I see a homeless man and I see that he is young and may be able to [work/do something to earn money] then I tell him "you know what my friend? I am not going to give you money.".

I think you have over exaggerated (showing only few people, one of them looked like a crack whore, the others looked like born-to-be a homeless. Not very touching images by the way... I could notice that the homeless man (with the beard) had very nice shoes in one picture and another sport shoe in other picture. Ohh.. I think you or your friends gave presents (the shoes) to them?) Armenian homelessness...

Anyway... I am not going to argue with you over this, because your mission is different... I do not follow to your mission, I follow to my mission, and it is "stay Armenian". Also this sounds foolish when you said "Unlike you, however, to not acknowledge what sounds like an important step with the ARF-D pushing for the creation of shelters in Yerevan.". I respect that party, but I think it had bad party members as well. For example: Simon Vratsian (Grouzinky?; Gruzia means Georgia in Russian)...

Just random, let's see what happened in Palestine on December 31st:
Another three Palestinians were killed Friday, bringing the Palestinian death toll to 12 during the latest Israeli military operation to forestall rocket and mortar fire against the 21 Israeli settlements that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon promises will be gone by next winter. Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/01/international/middleeast/01mideast.html

(hey watch, watch! They are safely moving people from their homes to new [homes].)

Hakob,

You are free to have your own opinions and you do although I think your version of being Armenia is pretty much the same as that of the Israelis and being Jewish (who you then ironically criticize in your last sentence). I despise nationalism like this. I think it's dangerous, inhuman and part of the reason the world is in such a mess today. Same with fundamentalist Christianity and fundamentalist Moslem. Just two sides of the same coin.

As for definitions, as I said, I wasn't even working with the UN definition which obviously would define as much as 44% of the Armenian population as being homeless if you talk about living conditions. But I also realized that those people who don't care about the social situation in Armenia also probably don't care about the social situation in the US, UK or elsewhere. The only times the latter is mentioned is to explain away problems in Armenia rather than face the reality, address the problems and think about developing this country for the future.

BTW: No, we gave no presents to the homeless in the photos apart from handing out a cigarette whenever I smoked although when one guy Raffik showed us his hand which was severely burnt and there was a danger of infection, Edik Baghdasarian bought burn ointment, bandages etc and treated him. Obviously, the health services here won't touch the homeless on the streets.

I really hope that voices like yours are a minority in the Diaspora. As for crack whores, I find it appaling that you can come out with such a statement although it does indicate why you and I can't agree -- you don't care about the under-priviledged which again, is your right. As it was, the woman is looking as distraught as she does because that day, the police took her four year old daughter away and placed her in a Children's Home.

Understandable because of how they were living but another Diasporan myth about "orphanages" in Armenia. They're not. They're mainly full of socially vulnerable children. 80% of the 12,000 kids enrolled in Children's Homes and Boarding Schools in Armenia have families. Still, it doesn't change the main point. Social problems in Armenia are increasing and sooner or later, the problems will have an even more adverse affect on society than they are already.

BTW: Whether you like UN definitions or not, the Armenian Government is obliged to recognize and honor them if it wants to be part of the world community rather than a tiny and insignificant landlocked mass with a population that still can only think of leaving.

Oh, and as for the shoes, yes, I also noticed that although today, he didn't have them. We do know however, that his feet are so swollen that he can't walk and that probably, he will die this winter. As it is, the other homeless in this group look after him as much as they can and they do work, incidentally.

They collect old bottles and sell them for 5-10 drams a bottle like many other vulnerable families in Armenia. What they don't have which could improve their situation but which most civilized countries do have is temporary, emergency accomodation for the winter. So, it's a choice we all have to make isn't it.

Do you want Armenia to be a country where the homeless die in the streets or don't you?

Wow... If I wasn't Armenian I would think that living in Armenia is like living in Russia in 1906...

If you (opposition) were clever, you could post a large number of pictures of the beautiful Armenian architecture (all I see in your pictures are villages, cops in lake sevan (what does that mean? FEAR?), yogurt in Coca Cola cans...), people, boys and girls who have respectful parents (not the crackwhore kind), and so on... then next to it you could post the homeless guy (that would be a drama) and it could have a better psychological-emotional effect on your audience...

It is fine that you label me as Armenian Nazist. I am Arian and I will protect my race!

Hakob, I don't think I've ever taken any photos of police in Sevan. I think you're thinking of Matt's photo.

Photos of monasteries, been there, done that. It's the easy option and there are thousands of others who do that. Let's have a bit of variety in our life, huh?

Thankfully, that's what's having a media is all about. Anything else is a little too much like living in a dream that does not exist because other problems threaten the future of a country you do not even live in.

Oh, and btw: I'm not opposition. Of course, that's the easy way to attack somebody. Stepan Demirchyan, Raffi Hovannisian, Aram Sarkisyan etc are opposition in Armenia and of course, the ARF-D have now very critically and vocally come out as the opposition in Nagorno Karabagh. Personally, I see no leaders in any of these groups and think the whole political scene is stagnant.

However, I do believe that a good opposition is important -- just as good government is also important. Unfortunately, we have neither in Armenia which is why people think only of leaving. Susan Sachs, I'm afraid, got it right.